CAR V. MOTOR CYCLE AT THE KENT AND SUSSEX L.C.C.'S MEETING.

CAR v. MOTOR CYCLE AT THE KENT AND SUSSEX L.C.C.’S MEETING.

WHICH possesses the better acceleration, car or motor cycle ? After witnessing the Senior T.T. Race in the Isle of Man anyone would be inclined to favour the latter, but this opinion would be quickly modified by the sight of R. G. J. Nash’s ” Terror ” getting off the mark at Lewes. In the June issue of MOTOR SPORT, in describing Nash’s getaway at Lewes, we were rash enough to state that in Our opinion no other vehicle, on two wheels or four, possessed such colossal acceleration from a standing start as the ” Terror.” Of course, we were asking for trouble, and our statement was immediately challenged by F. K. Anderson, with the result that Mr. H. V. Warren, the Secretary of the Kent & Sussex Club, very sportingly arranged for

Anderson to have the opportunity of disproving our statement at the Club’s next meeting on June 18th. As it turned out, our opinion was justified, for on Anderson’s first attempt the Grindley-Peerless leapt forward so rapidly that it stood on its tail and fell backwards, luckily without injury to the rider. Unfortunately, an oiled plug spoiled his second run, and on the third

attempt, the steering damper having been put out of action, the machine wobbled and hardly made his time of 24 seconds (as against Nash’s record 20 seconds) a representative one. The meeting itself was one of the pleasantest we have ever attended at Lewes. Mr. Warren has certainly got the organisation of these speed trials down to a fine art, and the whole programme went without a

off without a hitch. The first event , for touring cars of unlimited capaei t y , produced only one starter, a 30/98 V a uxhall driven by W. L. Allen, who therefore had a walk over, or shall we say “drive-over.” The special classes for Midgets and Hornets were won by R.D.Tweed and W. St. Clair Smith in 37.2s. and 34.3s. respectively. Then Miss Joan Weekes made

a fast run in 32.3s. to win the Super Sports Class (1,100 c.c.) on her Salmson.

The winner of the 1,500 c.c. Sports Class was S. E. Cummings-now happily fit again after his recent accident on the Kingston by-pass-who brought his lowered Frazer Nash up in exactly the same time as Miss Weekes. His time was not quite so good in the Sports 2,000 c.c. Class, however, and he had to be content with second place to Maxwell’s Bugatti, which recorded 33.2s.

Then Miss Weekes surpassed herself in the 1,500 c.c. Super Sports Class by clocking the fastest time yet, 30.3s., comfortably winning the class from Appleton’s Bugatti. The Unlimited Super Sports Class was won by D. Conan Doyle’s garishly decorated 36/220 Mercedes-Benz, with a time of 28.3s., closely followed by Baron’s Austro-Daitnler.

The 1,100 c.c. Racing Class was carried off in great style by J. V. Bolster on his ” Bolster Special,” which made the exceedingly good time of 25.4s., nearly four seconds faster than the next man, who happened to be his brother, driving a G.N. • Third came Miss Weekes, who still further reduced her time to 29.4s. Then a stir of excitement ran through the crowd-the ” Terror ” was due to make its run. The little white car shot forward at the fall of the flag and sped

up the course at an incredible speed, but his time, 20.2s. was not quite as good as the 20s. dead he recorded at the previous meeting. This was probably due to the tar road being a little soft owing to the heat of the sun. Incidentally, the car was only rebuilt during the night before the trials, having fallen a victim to a seized gudgeon pin at the Bugatti Club’s meeting the previous week. Second place was taken by Lancaster’s Bugatti, which spun its rear wheels at the start in a refreshing manner.

The remaining two Classes, for Racing Cars up to 2,000 c.c. and Unlimited, produced a similar result, although we were pleased to see that T. C. Davis had cured the G.P. Delage’s misfiring troubles, and recorded the excellent time of 24s.

RESULTS.

TOURING CARS, UNLIMITED.

1. W. L. Allen (Vauxhall), 33.3s. STANDARD M.G. MIDGETS.

1. R. D. Tweed, 37.2s. WOLSELEV HORNETS.

1. W. St. Clair Smith, 34.3s.

SUPER SPORTING CARS, UP TO 1,100 C.C.

1. Miss J. Weekes (Sahnson), 32.3s. STANDARD SPORTING CARS, UP TO 1,500 C.C.

1. S. E. Cummings (Frazer Nash), 32.3s.

2. E. Maxwell (Bugatti), 33s.

3. W. St. Clair Smith (Wolseley Hornet) 33.4s.

SPORTING CARS UP TO 2,000 c.c. 1. E. Maxwell (Bugatti), 33.2s.

SUPER SPORTING CARS UP TO 1,500 C.C.

1. Miss Joan Weekes (Salmson), 30.3s.

2. R. J. W. Appleton (Bugatti), 31.4s.

SUPER SPORTING CARS, UNLIMITED.

1. D. Conan Doyle (Mercedes-Benz), 28.3s.

2. A. Baron (Austro-Daimler), 29s.

3. D G. Evans (Bugatti), 29s. RACING CARS UP TO 1,100 C.C.

1. J. V. Bolster (Bolster Special), 25.4s.

2. R. V. C. Bolster (G.N.), 29.1s.

3. Miss J. Weekes (Salmson), 29.4s.

RACING CARS UP TO 1,500 c.c.

1. R. G. J. Nash (Frazer Nash ” Terror “), 20.2s.

2. J. Lancaster (Bugatti), 23s.

3. A. M. Conan Doyle (Frazer Nash “Slug “), 24.4s. RACING CARS UP TO 2,000 c.c.

1. R. G. J. Nash (Frazer Nash “Terror “), 20.2s.

RACING CARS UNLIMITED.

1. R. G. J. Nash (Frazer Nash ” Terror “), 20.2s.

2. J. Lancaster (Bugatti), 23s.

3. J. C. Davis (Delage C.P.), 24s.

HANDICAP CLASS.

I. D. C. Evans (Bugatti), 18.3s.

2. J. V. Bolster (Bolster Special), 18.4s.

3. W. L. Allen (Bugatti), 20s.